ENT UK represents ear, nose and throat surgeons in Britain. It recently noted increasing evidence from South Korea, China, and Italy that loss of smell and taste correlate with Covid 19. NPR picked up on the lead on March 26, 2019 and thinks ENT UK may be onto something important.
U.S. Expert Agrees Loss of Smell and Taste Correlate with Covid
Dr. Rachel Kaye is assistant professor of otolaryngology at Rutgers University, New Jersey. Her specialism relates to neck and head surgery in case you wondered. She explained to NPR how positively-tested celebrities like Utah jazz basketball player Rudy Gobert reported a loss of smell and taste.
American fashion blogger Arielle Charnas reacted similarly when posed the increasingly common ‘loss of smell’ question. However, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not appear to relate loss of smell and taste with Covid. Their list of primary symptoms only includes fever, cough and shortness of breath according to the NPR post.
What This Could Mean If It Were True
If it were scientifically true loss of smell and taste correlate with Covid-19 this could alter our understanding. It could mean the virus is causing a wider range of upper respiratory symptoms than we previously thought. In this regard it’s important to note the two senses are neurologically intertwined.
Dr. Rachel Kaye has seen an increasing number of people reporting loss of sense and smell testing positive later. “Obviously, people who are very symptomatic should be treated and confined to quarantine,” she says.
We should accept the possibility of a number of people with diminished taste and smell transporting the virus innocently until proven otherwise. We are grateful medical professionals of the caliber of Dr. Rachel Kaye are watching our backs on this one.
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